playing the building with david byrne

David Byrne, Playing the Building, 2008 [detail]
Pictured, the organ and connecting wires. Each key and stop is hooked up

to a sound-making device that is fastened to a different part of the building.

When founding Talking Head, David Byrne, invites you to come play a building, how could you turn him down? Even if you do have to sign a waiver before entering the space...

If you love fleeting art happenings in New York City that connect the viewer with the space in unforgettable ways (for instance, The Gates, 2005; the site-specific installations for the Whitney Biennial at the Armory, 2008; The Waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson that begins in ten days), then by all means, make the pilgrimage, queue up, and do as the sign says: "Please Play."



David Byrne, Playing the Building, 2008
presented by Creative Time
Battery Maritime Building
10 South Street at Whitehall Street
(to the left of the Staten Island Ferry)
New York
May 31 – August 24, 2008
hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, noon-6pm
FREE

The queue to play the building goes out the door.
The attendant seated to the right applauds each performer.
A nice human touch.


One performing duo.


And here, a trio.


Take a turn at the organ, trace the wires, isolate the sounds, examine the
cavernous space, listen to the performances. There is so much to take in,
all at once, piece by piece.